BacterioFiles

Here's my summary of the third day of ASM2013, wherein I met with neat people and ideas.

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Session 1: Microbe-Microbe Interactions - Cell Contact-Dependent Outer Membrane Exchange in Myxobacteria Presented by Dan WallMyxobacteria are super cool, a fascinating example of complex cooperative behavior in relatively simple single-celled organisms. They swarm around eating other bacteria until they get low on food, at which point they gather together to form reproductive structures called fruiting bodies to spread to new environments. As part of the mechanism they use to coordinate their activity and distinguish between friends and foes, they seem to exchange components of their outer membrane, but only with closely-related strains.

They started out talking about scientific misconduct with Ferric Fang, then with Andrew Camilli about the virus with a CRISPR system (listen at about 1 hour 2 min in to hear my question!), and also with Suzanne Fleiszig and Michelle Swanson about a gruesome-sounding eye infection and defenses against intracellular bacteria. You should give it a listen (or watch)!

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